"I have come all the way from the future... Correction, from a distant planet..." (3:26)
The Japanese dialogue is "Mirai, motoi hoshi no kuni kara harubaru to yatte mairimashita!" (未来、もとい星の国からはるばるとやって参りました！). This is a reference to the title of chapter 1 of volume 1 of "Doraemon", a manga written by Fujiko F. Fujio and published from 1969 to 1996. The chapter title is "Mirai no kuni kara harubaru to" (未来の国からはるばると), or "Arriving from the distant future".S1 Image for reference:
This title is also used as the title for the first episode of the anime adaptation of "Doraemon".

"Have the pink clouds in your head taken away what little sense you had?!" (3:52)
The Japanese dialogue is "Noumiso ohanabatake bokujou desu ka!?" (脳味噌お花畑牧場ですか！？). More literally this means "Are your brains a farm of flower gardens!?". Ohanabatake means flower garden and the phrase "Noumiso ohanabatake", "Brains are a flower garden", is an expression used figuratively to mean that someone is delusional or insane. However, "ohanabatake bokujou" is a pun on Hanabatake Bokujou (花畑牧場), an actual farm in Hokkaido that is famous for its caramel.S6

(5:30)
This pose is referencing that of Ikari Gendou from "Neon Genesis Evangelion", an anime that aired from 1995 to 1996.S1 Image for reference:

"Mothers Attack!" (5:39)
There are two references here:
* The Japanese title is "Mazaazu Atakku!" (マザーズ・アタック！), however removing the "za" (ザ) character yields "Maazu Atakku" (マーズ・アタック！), referencing the 1996 science fiction movie, "Mars Attacks!".S1
* The title appears to be based on "Mother's Counter Attack", the title of chapter 1 of volume 4 of the "Haiyore! Nyaruko-san" light novel, wherein Mahiro's mom suddenly returns home to Mahiro's surprise, similar to this episode. The title "Mother's Counter Attack" is a parody of "Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack", a movie released in 1988.S1

(5:56)
There are two references here:
* The blue book in the background reads 「クトゥルー神話の謎」 (Kutouuruu Shinwa no Nazo), or "Mysteries of the Cthulhu Mythos", which appears to be referencing the book 「クトゥルー神話の謎と真実」 (Kutouuruu Shinwa no Nazo to Shinjitsu), or "Mysteries and Truths of the Cthulhu Mythos".S6 Here is an isolation that might be easier to read:
* The green book in the background reads "Salvador Dali", the name of a famous Spanish surrealist painter.S6 Here is an isolation that might be easier to read:

"Let's go hunting!" (6:22)
There are three references here:
* The Japanese dialogue is "Hitokari iku wa yo!" (一狩りいくわよ！). This is referencing "Hitokari Ikou ze!" (一狩りいこうぜ!), or "Let's Go Hunting!", a Japanese variety show with the Monster Hunter game series as its theme.S1
* Yoriko's outfit is based on the Yukumo armor from "Monster Hunter Portable 3rd".S3 Image for reference:
Source of image: http://monsterhunter.wikia.com/wiki/File:Yukumo-Armor.jpg
* The appearance of the sword Yoriko is wielding is the same as that of the sword Cthuko wields in chapter 2 of volume 5 of the "Haiyore! Nyaruko-san" light novel. Illustration from the light novel for reference:
For more details about the sword, please check the episode 8 post at 10:55.

(6:38)
There are three references here:
* The title of the book that Yoriko holds up is "Jashin Hantaa Furontia" (邪神ハンターフロンティア), or "False God Hunter Frontier". This is a parody of the game "Monster Hunter Frontier".S1
* The subtitle of the book is "Ikutsu Mono Shitai wo Kasanete" (いくつモノ死体をかさねて), or "With Many Corpses Once More". This is a reference to the song "Ikutsu Mono Ai wo Kasanete" (いくつもの愛をかさねて), or "With Much Love Once More", an insert song used in episodes 50 and 51 of "Mobile Suit Victory Gundam", an anime that aired from 1993 to 1994.S3
* The book itself is modeled after "Hantaa daizen 3" (ハンター大全3), or "Hunter's Encyclopedia 3", a Japanese book containing artwork of the "Monster Hunter" game series.S1 Image for reference:
Source of image: http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4047265039

"In your case, I bet there's a 'craft' hiding after the 'love.'" (7:04)
This is referencing H. P. Lovecraft, the author whose works led to the creation of the Cthulhu Mythos that "Haiyore! Nyaruko-san" is based on.

"Nyarlko, let's be kissy kissy lovey dovey together. Let's pass on all sorts of weapons and defensive gear to our child." (7:08)
The Japanese dialogue is "Watashi to chucchu rabyurabyu shiyou" (私とちゅっちゅらびゅらびゅしよう). This is a reference to the game "Elminage II", an RPG released for the PSP and Nintendo DS. The game has a marriage system that has been nicknamed "chucchu rabyurabyu" (ちゅっちゅらびゅらびゅ). A child born via this system can inherit the skills and weapons of its parents.S1

"We still have the responsibility of protecting Earth's Dreamland." (8:21)
As mentioned in episode 3, the Dreamland is a fictional location in the Cthulhu Mythos that humans can enter when they fall asleep.

"I'm hopelesseriously in love with him!" (9:11)
The Japanese dialogue is "Geki maji ni rabu tte masu!" (激マジにラブってます！), more literally "I'm extremely seriously in love with him!". This is a reference to a line said by the character Omachi-chan (おまちちゃん) from the game "Gyousatsu Shinsengumi" (行殺・新選組). Her line goes, "Geki maji de rabu tte masu n de zehi!" (激マジでラブってますんでぜひ！), "I'm extremely seriously in love with him for sure!".S1

"She's quickly losing sanity points." (9:46)
There are two references here:
* As mentioned in episode 1 at 4:49, sanity points, abbreviated as SAN, are a parameter that characters have in the "Call of Cthulhu" role playing game. If a character's sanity points drop to zero, the character is permanently insane and typically can no longer be played.
* The Japanese dialogue is "SAN chi ga miru miru sagatteru" (ＳＡＮ値がみるみる下がってる). This is referencing the paper wrapper attached to "Ruruie Antiiku" (るるいえあんてぃーく), "R'lyeh Antique", an RPG replay book based on the "Call of Cthulhu" RPG that was written by Uchiyama Yasujirou (内山靖二郎) and published in 2009.S7 The wrapper says,

(9:52)
This is referencing Pioneer's laserdisc-based gaming console, the Pioneer LaserActive, released in 1993. The CLD-A10000 and the PAC-N100 reference the original CLD-A100 console and PAC-S10 module.S1

"Add lots of vegetables, oil and garlic!" (10:48)
The Japanese dialogue is "Yasai mashi mashi arabu ninniku desu na!" (野菜ましまし油ニンニクですな！). This is referencing a famous chain of restaurants, Ramen Jirou (ラーメン二郎). At the restaurant, one can decide on toppings and the amount desired. According to a post at Ramen Tokyo,

You can also say "mashi" or "mashi mashi" to get extra or extra extra of that topping, e.g. "yasai mashi mashi ninniku" = extra extra veggies, regular garlic.

So in reference to Nyaruko's "order", she wanted extra extra vegetables, oil, and garlic. If ordered at Ramen Jiro it would look something like this:
Source of image: http://tokyofood.blog128.fc2.com/blog-entry-44.html
On a related note, fans of Ramen Jiro call themselves "Jirorians" (ジロリアン Jirorian).S1

"a miracle occurs when you find your ultimate partner." (11:18)
There are three references here:
* The Japanese dialogue is "Saikou no paatonaa ga deau toki ni kiseki ha okoru" (最高のパートナーが出逢うときに奇跡は起こる). This is a reference to almost the same line in the lyrics to the song "W-B-X ~W-Boiled Extreme~", the opening theme song for "Kamen Rider W".S2 The line goes "Saikou no paatonaa deau toki kiseki okoru" (最高のパートナー出逢うとき奇跡起こる), which has the same meaning as above. Video for reference: http://youtu.be/HBp2i4HL6WI?t=1m30s
* The pose that Nyaruko makes is a reference to Kamen Rider W's signature pointing pose.S2 Image for reference:
* The background is a reference to the color scheme of Kamen Rider W's Heat Trigger form. Image for reference:

(11:37)
The large characters read 「邪神」 (jashin) meaning "false gods" while the smaller characters read 「ヒト」 (hito) meaning "people", stating that the text is written as "false gods" but read as "people". This is referencing a line from "At the Mountains of Madness", a story written by H. P. Lovecraft and first published in 1936. In the story, the main character discovers the remains of the Elder Things, a species of creature in the Cthulhu Mythos. After inspecting their ruins and learning of their past, the main character sympathizes with the Elder Things and realizes how human-like the Elder Things were, and exclaims, "Radiates, vegetables, monstrosities, star-spawn—whatever they had been, they were men!". In this way of thinking, Nyaruko is likening false gods to people.S7

"It's Shub-Niggurath brand, the Black Goat with a Thousand Young." (11:44)
This is a reference to Shub-Niggurath, a deity in the Cthulhu Mythos often associated with the phrase "The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young", as mentioned in "The Whisperer in Darkness", a short story written by H. P. Lovecraft and first published in 1931.S2

"The X-oth and HS3 are the two favorites." (12:27)
There are two references here:
* This is referencing the Microsft Xbox 360 and the Sony Playstation 3.S2
* The X-oth is a reference to Xoth from the Cthulhu Mythos.S1 It is stated that,

"the Spawn of Cthulhu came down from remote and ultra-telluric Xoth, the dim green double sun that glitters like a demonic eye in the blacknesses beyond Abbith, to whelm and reign over the steaming fens and bubbling slime pits of the dawn eons of this Earth..."

This excerpt is from "The Thing in the Pit", a short story written by Lin Carter and first published in 1980 in "Lost Worlds", a book containing a compilation of short stories written by Lin Carter.

"Oh, I'm going to use a sonic bomb." (12:37)
This is referencing the Sonic Bomb (音爆弾 oto bakudan) that appears in the Monster Hunter game series. It is a small thrown projectile that emits a powerful, high-frequency sound upon detonation to scare monsters, though it has no killing power.S1

"I knew you were a discerning man, Mahiro." (13:10)
The Japanese dialogue is "Ome ga takai!" (お目が高い！), meaning "You have good eyes!" in the context of discerning and understanding value in things. This is a reference to an Aniplex web radio show called "Ani-com Radio", hosted by Asumi Kana, Nyaruko's voice actor, and Fujiwara Keiji, another well known voice actor. "Ome ga takai!" is a catch phrase for the show.S1 Ani-com Radio website: http://www.aniplex.co.jp/radio/

"Don't hit people, unless you get to be a better boxer." (13:56)
* This is referencing a line said by Philip Marlowe, a fictional character created by author Raymond Chandler. The line in question is said by Marlowe in chapter 31 of "The Big Sleep", and it goes, "Take my tip—don't shoot it at people, unless you get to be a better shot."S1
* To be a little more specific, Cthuko's line in Japanese is "Nagutte ii no ha nagurareu kakugo ga aru yatsu dake" (殴っていいのは、殴られる覚悟があるやつだけ), which translates to "Only those prepared to get hit are allowed to hit others". This is based on the Japanese translation of Marlowe's quote which goes "Utte ii no ha utareru kakugo no aru yatsu dake da" (撃っていいのは撃たれる覚悟のある奴だけだ), or "Only those prepared to get shot are allowed to shoot others". Marlowe's quote has also inspired the use of the line by other characters, such as Kamen Rider Skull from "Kamen Rider W" and Lelouch Lamperouge from the anime "Code Geass".S1

"Defeating you won't be so hard." (14:02)
The Japanese dialogue is "Tanin wo makasu tte no ha sonna ni muzukashii koto ja nai desu yo" (他人を負かすってのはそんなに難しい事じゃないですよ). This is a reference to a line said by Kishibe Rohan in chapter 375 of Volume 40 in "Diamond is Unbreakable", the fourth story arc of "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure", a manga series written by Araki Hirohiko and originally published from 1987 and is currently ongoing.S1 He says,

"Why won't you repent?" (15:54)
"This is the path I chose myself. I have no reservations."
The Japanese dialogue is "Koukai senu ka" (後悔せぬか), "Mizukara nozonda michi, Tamerai mo nai" (自ら望んだ道、ためらいもない). This is a reference to almost the exact same dialogue exchanged between Raoh and Toki in chapter 101 of volume 12 of "Fist of the North Star", a manga series written by Buronson and originally published from 1983 to 1988. Cthuko's line is the same Raoh's, while Toki's original line goes "Mizukara nozonde eranda michi, Tamerai mo nai" (自ら望んで選んだ道、ためらいもない), having generally the same meaning as above.S1 Image for reference:
However, the stances that Cthuko and Nyaruko take are neither Raoh's nor Toki's. Instead they are mimicking Rei's "Nanto Ko Ha Ryuu" (南斗虎破龍) and Kenshiro's "Hokuto Ryuu Geki Ko" (北斗龍撃虎) stances, mirroring Kenshiro and Rei's standoff in chapter 36 of volume 5.S1 Image for reference:

"It's a Tindalos dog." (17:35)
There are two references here:
* This is a reference to the Hounds of Tindalos, a species of creature from the Cthulhu Mythos.S2 However, this depiction of the Hounds here is not actually how they appear in the Mythos. They first appear in "The Hounds of Tindalos", a short story written by Frank Belknap Long and first published in 1929. One of the characters in the story, Halpin Chalmers, encounters the Hounds of Tindalos and frantically describes them.

"All the evil in the universe was concentrated in their lean, hungry bodies. Or had they bodies? I saw them only for a moment; I cannot be certain."

Their actual form is unclear, and why they are called "hounds" is not clearly stated in the story either. However, these descriptions build an image of a creature that tracks its target by scent and pursues it deliberately and relentlessly, like a hound dog.
* This particular depiction is based on how they are depicted in "Ruruie Antiiku" (るるいえあんてぃーく), "R'lyeh Antique", an RPG replay book based on the "Call of Cthulhu" RPG that was written by Uchiyama Yasujirou (内山靖二郎) and published in 2009. On a related note, the same artist, Koin (狐印), did the art for both this series and the "Haiyore! Nyaruko-san" light novel.S7 Image for reference:
Source of image: http://f.hatena.ne.jp/servitors/20120502232948

"Go hit your head on a clock!" (17:37)
The Japanese dialogue is "Jikan no kado ni atama wo butsukete koi!" (時間の角に頭をぶつけてこい！), which more literally translates to "Go hit your head on the angles of time!". This is another reference to the Hounds of Tindalos since they are said to inhabit the angles of time.S7 "The seeds of the deed move through angles in dim recesses of time."S9

"Eroba!" (17:40)
「えろばっ！」 The only yelp by Nyaruko this episode is referencing "Fist of the North Star". It is the death cry of one of Raoh's minions when he is killed by Rei in chapter 65 of volume 8 of the manga.S4 Image for reference:

"Dunwich." (17:50)
This is referencing "The Dunwich Horror", a short story written by H. P. Lovecraft and first published in 1929. The story takes place in the fiction town of Dunwich, Massachusetts, and the creature shown in the background is a spawn of Yog-Sothoth bursting out of the confines of the Whateley farmhouse near the end of the story.S2

(´・ω・`) (17:55)
Cthuko says "Shoboon" (しょぼーん), an onomatopoeia for being sad or dejected. It's the name of the popularly used emoticon that her facial expression is mimicking.S1

"or consoles ahead of their time." (18:37)
This seems to be referencing the Sega Dreamcast. It was discontinued due to strong competition from other consoles at the time, but it has been regarded as ahead of its time since it was the first console to include a built-in modem and Internet support for online play.S4

(19:02)
The dog in this scene is based on Maron, the dog belonging to Sairenji Haruna from "To Love-Ru", a manga series written by Hasemi Saki and published from 2006 to 2009. On a related note, the anime adaptations of both "Haiyoru! Nyaruko-san" and "To Love-Ru" are animated by the same studio, Xebec.S3 Image for reference:

"We must be bound by the red string of fate, Mahiro." (20:03)
Like in episode 2 at 14:48, the red string of fate is an East Asian belief that destined lovers are connected by an invisible red string. It's similar to the notion of soul mates.

"The center of ultimate chaos told me to buy more." (20:13)
There are three references here:
* The center of ultimate chaos is referencing the deity Azathoth from the Cthulhu Mythos.S1 Azathoth is said to be located "at the centre of ultimate Chaos."S10
* The Japanese dialogue is "Kyuukyoku no konton no chuushin ga motto kae to sasayaita no desu" (窮極の混沌の中心がもっと買えと囁いたのです). This is referencing the endorsement wrapper (帯推薦文 obi suisen bun) attached to "Ruruie Hai Sukuuru" (るるいえはいすくーる), "R'lyeh High School", an RPG replay book based on the "Call of Cthulhu" RPG that was written by Uchiyama Yasujirou (内山靖二郎) and published in 2010.S4 The wrapper says,

『窮極の混沌の中心があなたにもっと買えと囁いています』byニャル子（逢空万太）
"Kyuukyoku no konton no chuushin ga anata ni motto kae to sasayaiteimasu" by Nyaruko (Aisora Manta)
"The center of ultimate chaos is whispering to you to buy more" by Nyaruko (Aisora Manta)

"Didn't you mention in one of your New Year's cards that you became a librarian at the Celaeno Library?" (21:12)Celaeno is a star in the Taurus constellation and is a part of the Pleiades star cluster. In the Cthulhu Mythos there exists a great library on Celaeno, though it is unclear if it is located on Celaeno itself or on one of the planets that orbits Celaeno. The library contains "books and hieroglyphs stolen from the Elder Gods by the Great Old Ones".S8 The Library is implied to be under the control and domain of Hastur.S1,S8

(23:45)
The label on the bottle Hasta is holding reads "Atorakku Nacha" (アトラック ナ茶), which roughly translates to "Atlach Tea" and is a pun on the Japanese pronunciation of Atlach-Nacha, a spider deity in the Cthulhu Mythos.S3,S5

"The next episode is 'Great Conspiracy X!' Let's comb-" (23:51)
What Nyaruko was about to say before Mahiro interrupts is "Let's combine!" (レーッツ！コンバイン！ Reettsu! Konbain!). This is a reference to the catch phrase used in the next episode previews for the anime "Choudenji Robo Combattler V". This is also a throwback to the last episode when Mahiro interrupts Nyaruko saying "Change getter", a reference to a line used in the next episode preview for "Getter Robo".

34 comments:

I seriously doubt what i'm about to suggest, but when Mahiro bumps into Hasuta and knocks away the star-shaped backpack, I think the backpack means something, but the only thing that it reminds me of is Fuko from Clannad handing out wood-carved "starfish" to everyone she met... but again i'm not sure at all.

A star is also an interpretation of the Elder Sign created by August Derleth, typically with a flaming eye inside of it. Lovecraft himself described it as a tree-like symbol. There's a page on Wikipedia about it.

I've thought about it for while and I don't think there is a connection to Clannad in the scene. The star shaped backpack is reminiscent of the wooden starfishes that Fuuko hands out, but other than the similar shape they don't seem to be strongly related. Also, like hourairabbit mentioned, the Elder Sign is star shaped, so it's more likely that the shape of the backpack is inspired by this to hint at Hastur, the Great Old One that Hasta is based off of. In regards to Hasta's character design, any similarities to Fuuko seem to be coincidences and I wouldn't consider him to be based off of her. In regards to Unknown's comment, "douzo" is a commonly used Japanese word, so while it's easy to see a similarity, I don't think it is a direct reference. Also, Mahiro doesn't usually make references. On a related note, the star shaped backpack doesn't even appear in the light novel, so at the very least originally there doesn't appear to be a connection to Clannad.

(6:20)Did you miss the "Monster Hunter" reference when the mom was explaining how she was a deity hunter? She's dressed just like Yukumo:http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100414035302/monsterhunter/images/8/8e/Yukumo-Armor.jpgOh, and while looking this up, i came across this website explaining a few references too :)http://notredreviews.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/haiyore-nyarlko-04-notes-and-the-like/

I just stumbled upon this blog today. Nice work with the aggregation. I will note that yellow is a colour strongly associated with Hastur so don't be surprised if you see references to things like The King in Yellow sometime soon.

Did you forget the obvious reference at (7:05) when Mahiro says "There's a 'craft' hiding after the 'love'"?H.P. Lovecraft was best known for his work on the Cthulhu Mythos and Necronomicon.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovecraft

Yeah to be honest I thought this one was pretty self-explanatory considering what viewers have been through up to this point, hahah. It's good to still state this stuff outright though, so I'll include it, thanks.

I don't know exactly what "kyubatan" is so I didn't put anything for it. However, I wouldn't be surprised if it has no special meaning since only Nyaruko and her brother Nyaruo have made references with their yelps so far. Also, in the third episode when Cthuko is hit by the books that Nyaruko and Mahiro throw at her she doesn't scream anything distinct. People at Steman blog and the Nyaruko wiki don't seem to acknowledge it, either. I did a search on it in Japanese (きゅうばたん) and it seems to just be some kind of onomatopoeia expressing feeling defeated or dejected. Also, the second half of the word, "batan" (ばたん), is an onomatopoeia for a bang or thud, which corresponds to Cthuko thudding on the floor. I think it's safe to write this off as nothing special, but thanks for bringing it up. I hadn't looked into it as much before, so I feel more certain about it, now.

That's an interesting observation, but I don't think that's a reference. It's kind of common to make up an element just by adding "-ium" to the end of a word, like with unobtainium. They even do to that with real elements, lol. The last 10 or so synthetic elements have all been called something-ium, where the something is typically the name of a place or a person.

This is really early but i saw ep.5 and there's the same pokemon reference as the first episode(15:26), not to mention Nyarko's Sherlock Holmes impersonation (3:40). Oh and the Elder Sign star is featured too(17:09).

"(12:46)The creature in Hasta's lap resembles the description of one of Hastur's avatars, the Emerald Lama. "

Actually, the creature in Hasta's lap is the King In Yellow avatar.

"In the writings of Derleth and a few other latter-day Cthulhu Mythos authors, the King in Yellow is an Avatar of Hastur, so named because of his appearance as a thin, floating man covered in tattered yellow robes."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_in_Yellow#Cthulhu_Mythos

The King in Yellow (the most common form of Hastur) is covered in Yellow robes, with tentacles hiding under the robes, masked and hooded. The Emerald Lama avatar has green robes, and looks more like a Grey.

Hmm, interesting. Thanks for bringing this up. Initially I came across the description of the Emerald Lama and thought that description fit due to the cloak, the hooded face with only glowing eyes visible, and the tentacles protruding from under the cloak. After doing a fair amount of searching though, it seems like the above depicted form is associated more with the King in Yellow. I haven't been able to find any descriptions from the Mythos that explicitly state the King has tentacles, but I guess people will depict him with tentacles since so many creatures in the Mythos have them. The King is certainly more well known than the Lama, so I guess it makes sense for him to be depicted here.

Hastur is one of the more interesting entities of the Cthulhu Mythos, since he (it?) is really a combination of elements of several different stories. It was all finally connected by John Tynes for the Delta Green and Call of Cthulhu RPGs. It's these sources that spawned the popular conception of Hastur - The King in Yellow with tentacles.

I have not watched Gosick so I can't really comment about it. However, "kyuukyoku no konton no chuushin" (窮極の混沌の中心) literally means "center of ultimate chaos", which is one of the names by which Azathoth is called. "Konton" (混沌) means "chaos" in Japanese and is a commonly used term. I'm fairly certain that in this case Gosick is completely unrelated.

While Aisora Manta does reference many things, they're typically either Cthulhu Mythos related or something deeply related to Japanese culture, like old anime and manga.